Workshop Will Help Beef Producers Plan for Successful Breeding Season

Mar 24, 2025

By Erika Lundy-Woolfolk

Feed costs and reproductive inefficiency are the two largest expenses in a beef cow enterprise. To help beef producers gear up for a successful breeding season, the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University, ISU Extension and Outreach Shelby County, and Farm Service Cooperative are partnering on a breeding season workshop focused on nutrition set for April 29 in west central Iowa. The program will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Boniface Parish Hall, 305 Duren St., Westphalia, with a meal served at 5:30 p.m.

Erika-Lundy Woolfolk, ISU extension beef specialist for southwest Iowa, is coordinating the workshop and said attendees will benefit from the variety of topics addressed.

“Nutrition is one of the most important factors that must be managed well in order to reach calf crop goals,” she said. “The workshop will include both classroom and hands-on learning opportunities focused on the importance of nutrition leading up to and through the breeding season.”

The program features the following presentation topics, as well as a Q&A session with presenters and local representatives:

Nutrition’s role in reproduction
Livestock risk protection options
Utilizing ration formulation software (BRaNDS) to assess beef diets

In addition to Lundy-Woolfolk, presenters are Tim Christensen, ISU Extension and Outreach farm management specialist, Dan Hosch with Zinpro, and Noah Sellner with Nelson Farm Supply.

The workshop is offered at no cost to attendees, and thanks to sponsorship from Farm Service Cooperative the evening meal is also provided at no charge. Please RSVP no later than April 23 by calling Shelby County Extension at 712-755-3104 or emailing dlascot@iastate.edu.

Source : iastate.edu

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.